XPS 8930, only one motherboard version?

@Drake Christensen    The power button blink code is 2,1, Motherboard failure

I am seeing the 2,1 blink code listed as 'Processor Failure'. Make sure the EPS 4-pin CPU power connector is securely fastened. Also the ATX 24-pin mobo power cable. Securely seat all RAM and the graphics card such that they are locked in their slot.

I am pretty sure there is only one XPS 8930 motherboard model. Some info from mine below.

(click photo to embiggen)

@Anonymous My apologies. I neglected to specify that this is a 2019 system. 2,1 is a processor for 2020, but bad motherboard for 2015-2019

Thanks for that screenshot. I'll see if I can spot that model number somewhere on the board.

If anyone else knows for sure, please let me know.

The listings on eBay are inconsistent in which info they include. I can't tell if each person is just grabbing random numbers from the board, or if those really are different models.

@Drake Christensen You are correct, according to the Service Manual, 2,1 is the error code for 'System board failure'. 

Google search results indicate the motherboard manufacturer's part number is DF42J and the UPC is 045948492463.

Hi, @Drake Christensen ,

I think the relevant Motherboard code is "IPCFL-VM", as shown in the Photo by @Anonymous .

Searching for that Code (on Google) brings up a number of results!

Thank you to those who replied.  That looks like the info I need.

Drake

Arrgh. It took about ten mins, but I finally found the number. Extremely teeny font, on the paper label. Mine is a DF42J and I ordered a T2HR0.

Will I be able to successfully swap those, and boot up normally? Or, am I going to have to get precisely the same model?

Bump.

My replacement board has arrived.  Am I safe installing that into the existing system?  Or, will there be a driver mismatch that will brick the thing?

@Drake Christensen    Am I safe installing that into the existing system? Or, will there be a driver mismatch that will brick the thing?

What drivers? Your BIOS and chip set are on the new mobo. I'd go for it . . . but that's just me 

The Windows drivers.  I know that there's a generic interface for a lot of functions, and that's probably handled in the BIOS.  But, some drivers either directly access some components, or expose more direct access to the application layer, to allow different optimizations.

I sent a message to the seller, but he probably won't see it until Monday.  I suppose I'll risk it.

I'll go ahead and continue this thread.

I finally set aside time to swap the motherboard.  Went in easy, as expected.

First time I turned it on, I thought it was going to work.  Fans spun, lights blinked, the CD head reset.  And a second later it shut down.  2,1 blink pattern, again.

Anyone have any suggestions on what part of the box I should rattle to try to gain some more information?

@Drake Christensen  - Sure the new motherboard works?

Did you install only the minimum hardware needed to boot the PC, without any add-in cards, (eg, use onboard Intel UHD Graphics, no WiFi card, etc), and only the boot drive?

Did you try each RAM module in second slot from CPU, one at a time?

Have you run the PSU BIST test because motherboard may not be getting correct/full power?

And I guess it's still possible you have a CPU failure...

@RoHe *slaps forehead* Of course.  Thanks.  After posting the message it occurred to me to pull the GPU.  I'll jump on those in a little bit.

@RoHe  The BIST page said specifically that if the PSU fan does not spin, then count it as a failed test.  The light looked nice and steady, to me.

The BIST was the last thing I tried.  GPU, one RAM board, then the other, unhooked Wi-Fi, then the PSU.  (I hadn't looked at the page to see how that should have been my first test.)  No change in symptoms as I tried each thing.

My searches found a few for under $50.  So, I won't even bother with the cap kit.  Just need to look at estimated ship times and grab one.

@RoHe  Looks like it could be the power supply.  The light comes on, but the fan isn't spinning.  The CPU fan does spin, but not the PSU fan.  It bumps, a little on press and release, but that's it.

I'll look for one of those and post back in a few days.  Actually, I think I'll crack it open and see if there's anything obvious, like a dead cap.  I can do a cap kit change out.  Anything beyond that and I'm more comfortable buying a replacement PSU.

Thanks, again, for being patient with me and pointing out the obvious.  Apparently, I needed it.  Albeit, I was not familiar with the PSU self-test until following the link you included.